Radiator cap removing tool



July 19, 1966 A. D. PETERS 3,261,242

RADIATOR GAP REMOVING TOOL Filed May 5, 1965 lllllllllln United States Patent Office 3,261,242 Patented July 19, 1966 3,261,242 RADIATOR CAP REMOVING TOOL Allen D. Peters, Bel Air, Md., assignor of one-half to Shirley T. Peters, Bel Air, Md. Filed May 5, 1965, Ser. No. 453,329 6 Claims. (Cl. 81-90) This invention relates to a tool for removing radiator caps of automobiles.

It is the Object of the present invention to provide a tool for reliably grasping the radiator cap of an automobile so that the same may be removed from the radiator opening incident to the checking of its contents, without discomfort or injury to the operator, even when the radiator and its contents are in a highly heated condition.

The hazards incidental to the removal of a radiator cap from an over-heated radiator engine by the blowing oil of steam and hot water therefrom, when the cap is removed by hand, have been recognized heretofore, and different tools have been designed seeking to eliminate these hazards.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a rugged tool, of low cost, which is capable of grasping the radiator cap securely, preparatory to its turning to disengage it, while the operator is sufiiciently distant from the radiator opening so that any hot water or steam blowing off therefrom upon the removal of the cap cannot cause any injury to the operator.

It is another object of the invention to provide a tool embodying a long handle having a hand grip at one end thereof and a pair of relatively movable jaws at the opposite end thereof, which may be manipulated by a finger movement of the operator adjacent to the hand grip, so that the jaws may be moved into secure engagement with the diametrally opposed radial lugs of the radiator cap preparatory to a turning movement of the tool. This rotary movement may be executed easily by virtue of the large leverage made possible by the long handle, and at the same time, the operator is sufficiently distant from the radiator opening so that any of the hot gases or fluids blowing oil therefrom cannot cause injury to him.

The radiator cap may be replaced with the tool, if this is desired.

Other objects and purposes will appear from the detailed description of the invention following hereinafter, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tool overlying the radiator cap, with the jaws in solid lines indicating the position of the parts when the tool is engaged with the radiator cap, while the parts illustrated in dotted lines i1- lustrate the alternate position incidental to the disengagement of the tool from the radial lugs of the radiator cap therebelow;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the left end of the tool in engaging position with the radiator cap, with certain parts in section; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

In the drawing is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention featuring a tool for grasping securely the radiator cap of an automobile engine preparatory to the rotation of the latter to eflfect its removal from the radiator while the operators hand is far removed from the radiator cap so that if the engine is overheated, occasioning the blowing-off of steam and hot water upon the removal of the radiator cap, no harm can be caused to the operator.

The tool may be built entirely of steel, or any other metal, and may have an over-all length of approximately 24". The cylindrical rod 1 of the handle, which may be a steel rod of diameter, is provided with a hand grip 2 of plastic, wood, rubber or other material, at one end thereof, and a pair of movable jaws 3 and 4 at the opposite end. The lateral offset 7 from rod I1, remote from the hand grip 2, supports a cylindrical sleeve 5, extending in parallel to handle 1. A fixed jaw 3 is provided at the outer end of sleeve '5. The jaw 3 is shaped to have a substantially semi-cylindrical curvature con forming generally to the contours of the diametrally opposed radial lugs L, L of the radiator cap C, which is adapted to cover the radiator R, as is well known in the art.

The cylindrical sleeve '5 functions as a guide member for a cooperating guide member 9 which may be a hollow or solid cylindrical rod 9 which extends transversely from a movable arm '6 which is aflixed to a cylindrical sleeve 8 movably mounted on the handle 1 adjacent the lateral offset 7. The movable jaw 4, which is shaped similarly to the fixed ja=w 3, is mounted at the lower end of the movable arm 6 to dispose both jaws at substantially a common level.

An abutment 16 is afiixed to the handle 1 between the hand-grip 2 and the sleeve 8 by means of a set screw 20, and a second abutment '10 is provided at the end of sleeve 8. The abutrnents 16 and '10 may assume the form of annular flanges betweenwhich is disposed a coil spring 1'7 surrounding rod 1. The spring is biased against the fixed stop 16 to force sleeve 8 and the movable jaw into operating position towards the fixed jaw 3.

An actuator rod 11 of relatively thin wire is aflixed to the sleeve 8 by welding or soldering, and extends substantially parallel to the handle 1 to terminate in a lateral finger piece :13 in proximity to the hand-grip 2. A guide block 14, provided with an opening 15, is aflixed to the handle l1 adjacent to the hand-grip to function as a guide for the actuator rod 11 in its to-and-fro movements.

Normally the spring 17 serves to press sleeve 8 with integral arm 6 and movable jaw 4 towards the fixed jaw 3, and this movement is guided with the aid of the guide members 5 and 9. When an operator holding the tool at the hand-grip 2 pulls the actuator rod 11 to the right, as indicated in dotted lines in the direction of the arrow, the removable jaw is retracted from the fixed jaw so that the tool may engage the opposite radial lugs L, L and grasp these lugs when the actuator handle 13 is released to permit the force of the spring 17 to return the .parts to the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1. Thereafter, the tool may be rotated to disengage the radiator cap from the mouth of the radiator with little effort in view of the long leverage afforded by the tool, and with no possibility of injury to the operator by virtue of the distance of the operator from the radiator opening.

While I have described my invention as embodied in a specific form, and as operating in a specific manner, for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modifications will suggest themselvesto those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. A radiator cap removing tool comprising an elongated handle having a hand-grip at one end thereof and a pair of diametrally opposed relatively movable jaws at the opposite end thereof for selectively engaging and disengaging the opposed radial lugs of a radiator cap, a guide member formed integrally with said handle and extending parallel thereto at said last-mentioned end with one of said jaws projecting downwardly from said guide member at the outermost end thereof, a movable arm for supporting a second jaw slidably mounted on said handle to dispose said second jaw on the same level as said one jaw and provided with a second guide member adjacent to cating movement therewith, spring means mounted on said handle for urging said arm and movable jaw affixed thereto towards said one jaw, and an actuator rod extending from said arm and terminating adjacent to said hand-grip for moving said arm against the :bias of said spring to separate the jaws from each other.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide members are of cylindrical cross-section and are arranged co-axially. 3. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said diametrally opposed jaws are of substantially semi-cylindrical cross-section and of a conformation corresponding to the contours of the radial lugs of the radiator cap.

4. A radiator cap removing tool comprising an elongated handle having a hand-grip at one end thereof and a pair of diametrally opposed relatively movable jaws at the opposite end thereof for selectively engaging and disengaging the opposed radial lugs of a radiator cap, a sleeve formed integrally with said handle and extending parallel thereto at said last-mentioned end with one of said jaws being fixed and projecting downwardly from said sleeve at the outermost end thereof, a movable arm for supporting a second jaw sl-idably mounted on said handle to dispose said last-mentioned jaw onthe same level as said fixed jaw and provided with a rod extending transversely from said arm and co-axially with said sleeve for reciprocating movement therein, spring means mounted on said handle for urging said arm and movable jaw aflixed thereto towards said fixed jaw, and an actuator r-od extending from said arm and terminating adjacent to said hand-grip for moving said arm against the bias of said spring to separate the jaws from each other.

5. A radiator cap removing tool comprising an elongated cylindrical handle having a hand-grip at one end 35 thereof and a pair of diametrally opposed relatively movable jaws at the opposite end thereof for selectively engaging and disengaging the opposed radial lugs of a radiator cap, a cylindrical sleeve formed integral-1y with said handle and extending parallel thereto at said lastmentioned end with one of said jaws being fixed and projecting downwardly from said sleeve at the outermost end thereof, a second cylindrical sleeve movably mounted on said handle adjacent to said last-mentioned end with an integral arm connected thereto for supporting a movable jaw on the same level as said fixed jaw, a rod extending transversely from said arm and co-axially with said first sleeve for reciprocating movement therein, an abutment on said handle between said hang-grip and second sleeve, a second abutment on said second sleeve, a coiled spring on said handle between said abutments for urging said second sleeve, integral arm and movable jaw aflixed thereto towards said fixed jaw, and an actuator rod connected to said second sleeve extending substantially parallel to said handle and terminating adjacent to said hand-grip for moving said last-mentioned sleeve and integral arm against the bias of said spring to separate the jaws from each other.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 including a guide block on said handle in proximity to said hand-grip and provided with an opening for guiding the actuator rod in its to-and-fro movements.

References ited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,158,637 1 1/1915 Chorvath 294-103 x 2,093,658 9/1937 Hilden'brand. 2,599,668 6/1952 Taylor.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

G. WEI D'ENFELD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RADIATOR CAP REMOVING TOOL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HANDLE HAVING A HAND-GRIP AT ONE END THEREOF AND A PAIR OF DIAMETRALLY OPPOSED RELATIVELY MOVABLE JAWS AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF FOR SELECTIVELY ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING THE OPPOSED RADIAL LUGS OF A RADIATOR CAP, A GUIDE MEMBER FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID HANDLE AND EXTENDING PARALLEL THERETO AT SAID LAST-MENTIONED END WITH ONE OF SAID JAWS PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID GUIDE MEMBER AT THE OUTERMOST END THEREOF, A MOVABLE ARM FOR SUPPORTING A SECOND JAW SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HANDLE TO DISPOSE SAID SECOND JAW ON THE SAME LEVEL AS SAID ONE JAW AND PROVIDED WITH A SECOND GUIDE MEMBER ADJACENT TO SAID FIRST GUIDE MEMBER AND ARRANGED FRO RELATIVE RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SPRING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID HANDLE FOR URGING SAID ARM AND MOVABLE JAW AFFIXED THERETO TOWARDS SAID ONE JAW, AND AN ACTUATOR ROD EXTENDING FROM SAID ARM AND TERMINATING ADJACENT TO SAID HAND-GRIP FOR MOVING SAID ARM AGAINST THE BIAS OF SAID SPRING TO SEPARATE THE JAWS FROM EACH OTHER. 